lever is left in N (Neutral) for more than ap
prox imately 2 seconds, without the brake ped
a l being pressed .
Release button
The release button on the selector lever pre
ve nts the leve r from being accide ntally s hifted
into certain positions. Depending on the direc
tion of the shift, the se lector lever locks at d if
ferent positions. The positions are h ighlighted
in the ill ustration
c!> fig . 97.
Ignition key safety interlock
The key cannot be removed from the ignition
un less the se lector lever is in the P park posi
tion . When the ignition key is removed, the
se lector lever wi ll be locked in the P pos ition.
Driving the automatic transmission
Fi g. 98 Shift gate on t he cente r conso le: selector lever
wit h release butto n
Starting the engine
.. The selector lever must be in P or N.
Starting off
.. Press and ho ld the brake pedal.
.. Press and ho ld the release button in these
lector lever handle, se lect the desi red se lec
tor lever pos ition such as D/S and release
the b utton.
.. Wait br iefly until the transmission has shift
ed (you will feel a slight movement).
.. Remove your foot from the brake pedal and
acce le rate.
Stopping temporarily
.. Keep the vehicle stationary us ing the brak
ing pedal, for examp le at traffic lights.
Transm ission 87
.. Do not press the accelerator peda l when do
ing this .
.. To prevent the vehicle from ro lling when yo u
start driv ing, set the parking brake when
stopping on steep inclines
c!> _&. .
.. The parking brake will release automat ica lly
and the vehicle will start mov ing once you
p ress the acce lerator pedal.
Stopping /parking
If the selector lever is not in the P position
when you open the driver's door , the veh icle
could roll . The message
Transmis sion: Car
may roll! Shift to park! appears .
.. Press and hold the brake peda l until the ve-
hicle has come to a complete stop .
.. App ly the parking brake co
page 80 .
.. Select the P selector lever posit ion co_&. .
Stopping on an incline
.. Always press the brake pedal to ho ld the ve
hicle in place and prevent it from "rolling
back" co_&. . Do
not try to prevent the vehi
cle from "rolling back" when a gear is en
gaged by increas ing the engine speed co(!).
Starting on an incline
.. Activate the parking brake .
.. With the driving gear selected, press the ac
celerato r pedal carefully . The parking brake
w ill release automatically if your seat belt is
fastened .
U nder certa in circumstances, such as driving
in the mounta ins, it may be usefu l to sw itch
temporarily to the manual sh ift p rogram in or
d er to ad just the gears to the driv ing cond i
ti ons by hand co
page 89.
On slopes, activate the parking brake first and
then move the selector leve r to the P position .
T his prevents too much st ress from being
placed on the locking me chanism .
&_ WARNING
- T he vehicle can also roll when the engine
is s topped.
~
88 Transmission
-Unintended vehicle movement can cause
serious injury .
- Never leave your vehicle with the engine
running while in gear. If you must leave
your vehicle when the engine is running,
activate the parking brake and move the
selector lever to P .
- Power is still transmitted to the wheels
when the engine is running at idle. To
prevent the vehicle from "creeping", you
must keep your foot on the brake when
the engine is running and the selector
lever is in D/S or R or "tiptronic" mode is
selected.
- Do not press the accelerator pedal when
changing the selector lever position
while the vehicle is stationary and the
engine is running.
- Never shift into
R or P while driving.
- Before driving down a steep slope, re-
duce your speed and shift into a lower
gear with "tiptronic".
- Do not ride the brakes or press the brake
pedal too often or too long when driving
down a hill. Constant braking causes the
brakes to overheat and substantially re
duces braking performance, increases
braking distance or causes complete fail
ure of the brake system.
- To prevent the vehicle from rolling back
when stopping on inclines, always hold it
in place with the brake pedal or parking
brake .
- Never hold the vehicle on an incline with
a slipping clutch . The clutch opens auto
matically when it becomes too hot from
the overload . An indicator lamp
[O] illu
minates and a driver message appears
Q page 90 when the clutch is overload
ed.
- If the engine must remain running, never
have any driving position engaged when
checking under the hood. Make sure the
selector lever has securely engaged and
is locked in P with the parking brake set
Q page 200, Engine compartment . Oth
erwise, any increase in engine speed may set the vehicle in motion, even with the
parking brake applied.
@ Note
- When stopping on an incline, do not try
to hold the vehicle in place by pressing
the accelerator pedal while a driving gear is selected. This can cause the transmis
sion to overheat and can damage it. Acti
vate the parking brake or press the brake
pedal to prevent the vehicle from rolling .
- Allowing the vehicle to roll when the en
gine is stopped and the selector lever is
in N will damage the transmission be
cause it is not lubricated under those cir
cumstances.
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re
leased automatically only when the driv
er's safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Hill descent control
The hill descent control system assists the
driver when driving down declines.
Hill descent control is activated when these
lector lever is in D/S and you press the brake
pedal. The transmission automatically selects
a gear that is suitable for the incline. Hill de
scent control tries to maintain the speed ach
ieved at the time of braking, within physical
and technical limitations. It may st ill be nec
essary to adjust the speed with the brakes.
Hill descent control switches off once the de
cline levels out or you press the accelerator
pedal.
On vehicles with the cruise control system*
Q page 82 , hill descent control is also activat
ed when the speed is set.
A WARNING -
Hill descent control cannot overcome
physical limitations, so it may not be able
to maintain a constant speed under all
118 Driving Safely
Driving Safely
General notes
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instructions and warnings that you need
to read and observe for your own safety, the
safety of your passengers and others . We have
summarized here what you need to know
about safety belts, airbags, child restraints as
well as child safety. Your safety is for us
priori
ty number 1.
Always observe the information
and warnings in this section -for your own
safety as well as that of your passengers.
The information in this section applies to all
model versions of your vehicle . Some of the
features described in this sections may be
standard equipment on some models, or may
be optional equipment on others. If you are
not sure, ask your authorized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
- Always make sure that you follow the in
structions and heed the WARNINGS in
this Manual. It is in your interest and in
the interest of your passengers.
- Always keep the complete Owner's Liter
ature in your Audi when you lend or sell
your vehicle so that this important infor
mation will always be available to the
driver and passengers.
- Always keep the Owner's literature handy
so that you can find it easily if you have
questions.
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant
restraint system and work together to help
reduce the risk of injury in a wide variety of
accident situations.
Your safety and the safety of your passengers
should not be left to chance. Advances in
technology have made a variety of features
available to help reduce the risk of injury in an accident.
The following is a list of just a few of
the safety features in your Audi:
- sophisticated safety belts for driver and all
passenger seating positions,
- belt force limiters for the front seats,
- belt pretensioners for the seats,
- head restraints for each seating position,
- front airbags,
- side airbags in the front seats,
- special LATCH anchorages for child re-
straints,
- adjustable steering column.
These individual safety features, can work to
gether as a system to help protect you and
your passengers in a wide range of accidents.
These features cannot work as a system if
they are not always correctly adjusted and cor
rectly used.
Safety is everybody's responsibility!
Important things to do before driving
Sofety is everybody's job! Vehide ond occu
pant safety always depends on the informed
and careful driver.
For your safety and the safety of your passen
gers,
before driving always:
" Make sure that all lights and signals are op
erating correctly .
"Make sure that the tire pressure is correct.
"Make sure that all windows are clean and af
ford good visibility to the outside.
"Secure all luggage and other items carefully
¢page 66.
"Make sure that nothing can interfere with
the pedals.
"Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correctly for your height .
" Instruct passengers to adjust the head re
straints according to their height .
"Make sure to use the right child restraint
correctly to protect children ¢
page 158,
Child Safety.
"Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same ¢
page 61,
Seats and storage. ..,
.. Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly.
Also instruct your passengers to fasten their
safety belts properly ¢
page 129.
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condi
tion of the vehicle, the driver as well as the
driver's ability to concentrate on the road
without being distracted.
The driver is responsible for the safety of the
veh icle and a ll of its occupants . If your ability
to drive is impaired, safety risks for everybody
in the vehicle increase and you also become a
hazard to everyone else on the road ¢ ,&. .
Therefore:
.,. Do not let yourself be distracted by passen
gers or by us ing a cellular telephone.
.. NEVER drive when your driv ing ability is im
paired (by medicat ions, alcohol, drugs, etc.) .
.. Observe all traffic laws, ru les of the road
and speed limits and plain common sense.
.. ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic
and weather conditions.
.. Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not
drive for more than two hours at a stretch .
.. Do NOT drive when you are tired, under
pressure or when you are stressed.
A WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk
of serious personal injury and death when
ever a vehicle is being used.
Driving Safely 119
Proper occupant
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is impor
tant for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig. 134 Correct seat ing pos it ion
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom
mend that you adjust the driver's seat to the
follow ing pos ition:
.. Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easi
ly push the pedals all the way to the floor
wh ile keeping your knee(s) slightly bent
¢ ,&. .
.. Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upr ight position so that your back
comes in full contact with it when you drive .
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that th ere is a
distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) be
tween the steering wheel and yo ur breast
bone ¢
fig. 134. If not possible, see your au
thorized Audi dealer about adaptive equip
ment .
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that the steer
ing wheel and airbag cover points at your
chest and not at your face .
.,. Grasp the top of the steer ing whee l with
your elbow(s) slightly bent .
.. App lies to veh icles with adjustable head re
straints: Ad just the head restraint so the up
per edge is as even as possible with the top
of your head. If that is not possible, try to
adjust the head restraint so that it is as
close to this pos it ion as possible .
.. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 132.
120 Driving Safely
• Always keep both feet in the footwell so
that you are in control of the vehicle at all
times.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
¢page 62.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be seriously
injured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help
reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between your breast
bone and the steering wheel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the
outside of the steering wheel rim with
your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to help reduce the risk of per
sonal injury if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the
12 o'clock position or with your hands at
other positions inside the steering wheel
rim or on the steering wheel hub. Hold
ing the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injuries to the hands,
arms and head if the driver's airbag de
ploys.
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the supple
mental driver's airbag to protect you in a
collision.
- Always sit in an upright position and nev
er lean against or place any part of your
body too close to the area where the air
bags are located.
- Before driving, always adjust the front
seats and head restraints properly and
make sure that all passengers are prop
erly restrained.
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle
is moving . Your seat may move unexpect
edly and you could lose control of the ve
hicle.
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests
are tilted back, the greater the risk of in- jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi
tion.
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats ¢
page 158. Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat
on the front passenger seat¢
page 13 7.
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position
is important for safe, relaxed driving .
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom
mend that you adjust the seat for the front
passenger to the following position :
• Move the front passenger seat back as far as
possible . There must be a minimum of
10 inches (25 cm) between the breastbone
and the instrument panel¢,&. .
• Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upright position and your back comes
in full contact with it whenever the vehicle is
moving.
• Applies to vehicles with adjustable head re
straints: Adjust the head restraint so the up
per edge is as even as possible with the top
of your head. If that is not possible, try to
adjust the head restraint so that it is as
close to this position as possible.
• Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of
the front passenger seat.
• Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 132.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
¢ page 61.
A WARNING
-
Front seat passengers who are unbelted,
out of position or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured or killed by the air bag as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of
serious personal injury:
-Passengers must always sit in an upright
posit ion and never lean against or place
any part of their body too close to the
area where the airbags are located .
- Passengers who are unbelted, out of po
sition or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured by an airbag as it un
folds with great force in the blink of an
eye .
- Always make sure that there are at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the front
passenge r's breastbone and the instru
ment pane l.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat
of the ir own and properly fasten and
wear the safety belt belonging to that
seat .
- Before driv ing, a lways adjust the front
passenger seat and head restra int prop
er ly .
- Always keep your feet on the f loor in
front of the seat . Never rest them on the
seat, instrument panel, out of the win
dow, etc . The airbag system and safety
belt will not be ab le to protect you prop
erly and can even increase the risk of in
jury in a crash .
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or tilted far back! The farther the backrests
are tilted back, the greater the risk of in
jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi
t ion.
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats
c::> page 158 . Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat
on the front passenge r seat
c::> page 13 7.
Proper seating positions for passengers
in rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright with
both feet on the floor consistent with their
physical size and be properly restrained
whenever the vehicle is in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incor
rect seat ing position in the event of a sudden
braking maneuver or an accident, your pas-
Dr ivin g Sa fely 121
sengers on the rear bench seat must always
observe the following:
'" Make su re that the seatba ck is secure ly
latched in the upright position
c::> page 67 .
'" Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat.
'" Fasten and wear safety belts proper ly
c::>page 132.
'"Make sure that children are always properly
restrai ned in a child restraint that is appro
pr iate for the ir s ize and age
c::> page 158 .
.&, WARNING
Passengers who are improperly seated on
the rea r seat can be seriously inj ured in a
crash.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat
of their own and properly fasten and
wear the safety belt belonging to that
seat.
- Safety belts only offer maximum protec
tion when the seatback is sec urely latch
ed in the upright position and the safety
be lts are properly positioned on the
body. By not sitting upright, a rear seat
passenger increases the risk of personal
injury from improperly positioned safety
belts!
Proper adjustment of head restraints
App lies to vehicles: with adjustable head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an im
portant part of your vehicle's occupant re
straint system and can help to reduce the risk
of injuries in accident situations .
Fig . 1 35 Head restra int: vi ewed fro m the front
122 Driving Safel y
The head restraints must be correctly adjust
ed to achieve the best protection. ... Adjust the head restra ints so the upper edge
is as even as poss ible w ith the top of yo ur
head.
If that is not possib le, try to ad just
the head restraint so that it is as close to
t h is position as possible
¢ fig. 135.
Adjusting head restraints ¢ page 64 .
.&, WARNING
All seats are equipped with head re
straints . Driving without head restraints or
w ith head restra ints that are not proper ly
adjusted increases the risk of ser ious or fa
tal neck injury dramat ically . To help reduce
the risk of in ju ry:
- Always drive with the head restraints in
place and proper ly adjusted .
- Every person in the veh icle must have a
properly ad justed head restra int.
- Always make sure each person in the ve
hicle properly adjusts the ir head re
straint. Ad just the head restraints so the
upper edge is as even as possib le wit h
the top of your head . If that is not possi
ble, try to adju st the hea d restra int so
that it is as close to this position a s pos
sible.
- Never attempt to adjus t head rest raint
wh ile driving. If you have driven off and
must adjust the dr iver head rest for any
reason, first stop the ve hicle safe ly be
fore attempting to adjust the head re
straint.
- Children must always be properly re
strained in a ch ild restraint that is appro
pr iate for their age and size ¢
page 158.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only re
duce the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are
properly seated.
I mproper seating positions can ca use serio us
in ju ry or death . Safety belts can on ly work
when they are properly positioned on the body. Improper seating positions reduce the
effectiveness of safety belts and wi
ll even in
c rease the r is k of i njury and death by mov ing
the safety belt to crit ica l areas of the body.
Imprope r seating positions a lso increase the
risk of serious inju ry and death when an a ir
bag deploys and str ikes an occupa nt w ho is
not in the proper s eating posit ion . A dr iver is
responsible for the safety of all ve hicle occu
pants and espe cially for child ren. The re fo re :
... Never allow anyone to assume an incor rect
seating position when the vehicle is being
used ¢& .
T he following bullet ins list o nly some sample
pos itions tha t w ill increase the r isk of serious
i njury and dea th . O ur hope is that t hese exam
ples will ma ke yo u more aw are o f seat ing po
s itions tha t ar e dangerous.
Therefore , whenever the vehicle is
moving:
- neve r sta nd u p in t he vehicle
- neve r stand on the seats
- never kneel on the seats
- never ride wit h the seatback reclined
- never lie down on the rear seat
- never lean up against the instrument panel
- neve r sit on the e dge of the seat
- neve r sit s ideways
- neve r lean out the window
- never put your feet out the window
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat cush ion or
back of the seat
- neve r ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo a rea
.&, WARNING
Imp roper seating posit ions increase the
risk of ser ious persona l injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used.
- Always make sure that all vehicle occ u-
pants stay in a proper seating position
and are properly restrained whenever the
veh icle is being used.
Tel.: 1-800-333-0510 or
Tel.: 1-819-994-3328 (Ottawa
region and from other coun
tries)
TTY for hearing impaired: Tel.:
1-888-675-6863
or contact Transport Canada by
mail at:
Transport Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Investiga
tions Laboratory 80 Noel Street
Gatineau, QC
J8Z 0Al
For additional road safety infor
mation, please visit the Road
Safety website at:
http:/ /www . tc .gc.ca/ e ng/
roadsafety/menu .htm
Active rollover
protection system
Function
The rollover protection system helps protect
vehicle occupants in the event of a rollover.
( l~
)1' I !
i i
Fig . 137 Rear seats: Rollbar deplo yment range
Driving Safely 12 7
Fig. 138 Rear seats: roll ba r deploye d
The active rollover protection system consists
of:
- two rollbars
- the safety belts with belt tensioners
- the windshield frame
- the rollove r sensors
The active rollover protection system provides
additional safety in the event of a rollover.
Within milliseconds, sensors deploy two roll
bars located beh ind the headrests in the rear
seats
i=> fig. 13 8.
The rollbars, reinforced windshield frame and
belt tensioners help protect front and rear
passengers in the event of a rollover.
The rollover protection system functions
when the power top is both open and closed.
.&_ WARNING
Do not use the area behind the rear seat
headrests
i=> fig. 13 7 as a storage area.
This is the area where the rollbars deploy.
If the rollover protection system is trig
gered, objects placed there can be propel led through the vehicle and make it more
difficult for the rollbars to deploy. This in
creases the risk for serious or life-threat
ening injuries.
When is rollover protection deployed?
Rollover protection deploys in a collision or
rollover.
Depending on the collision, sensors through
out the vehicle and the control module trigger
the rollover system to deploy. .,,.